Christmas Countdown Ideas

December 3, 2018

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Decorations are going up and the holiday spirit is in the air! It’s time to deck the halls, wrap the gifts, and fill our homes with the sounds and smells of the Christmas season. For little ones and even us “big kids”, the anticipation of Christmas is something that overwhelms us. Counting down the days to Christmas Eve is such a fun part of the holidays and it can bring an added element of excitement to create a tradition for your family’s countdown. Here are a few great ways that you can mark off the days until Santa comes to town.

Traditional Advent Calendar

Traditional Advent Calendars are a simple way to count down the days until Christmas. These typically have a small trinket, candy, or even just an image hidden behind a numbered door. Once all the doors are open, the holiday is here!

Lego Advent Calendars

Lego Advent Calendars are quite popular, especially for those with little ones. Behind each of the doors, you’ll find a building blocks piece that works to complete a holiday theme with your favorite characters or a seasonal scene. Little builders love these kits and they’re a great addition to the holiday decorating.

Simple Christmas Countdown Chain

One of my favorite ways to count down to any big event is an old fashioned paper chain. Whether you use plain strips of construction paper, have the kids decorate the strips with their own art or stickers, or find fun printables with holiday images, these are a simple and inexpensive way to mark off the days until Christmas.

Christmas Activities Jar

Write a list of holiday activities and put each on a piece of paper in a jar or write it on a Popsicle stick. Each day, pull out an activity to do together as a family. Activities can include things like baking a batch of cookies, delivering a holiday surprise to an elderly neighbor, reading aloud from a Christmas story, or singing carols together. The sky is the limit and the ideas can be easily tailored to your own family’s ages and interests.

Countdown with Holiday Books

Celebrate the season by adding new Christmas books to your collection each night as you lead up to Christmas. Place individually wrapped books under the tree and allow the kids to select one to open each evening and read together before bed.

Add a New Ornament Each Day

Collect a variety of Christmas ornaments and add something new to your tree each day through Christmas Eve. Dollar stores are a great source for finding cheap ornaments or look at your favorite big box retailer for a larger collection of holiday decorations to help keep costs down.

Daily Devotional Countdown

There are many books available, as well as online resources, with holiday devotionals for families. Each day, you can enjoy some devotional time and keep the true reason for the season at the forefront of your holiday celebrations. Many include kid-friendly activities that fit with the day’s lesson.

How does your family count down to the holiday season? Share it with us in the comments!

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About Me

Hi, I’m Amy Powell, the managing partner and content creator here at Resourceful Mommy. I’m a forty-something wife and mom of two teenage sons. My favorite things are Jesus, coffee, everything internet, traveling, and a good craft beer. Here we will talk about topics that help simplify family life like self-care, marriage, parenting, & organization. I’m looking forward to connecting with you. Learn more.